The Impact of Obesity on Your Body and Health

Are you carrying some extra weight? If your BMI is 30 or above, your extra weight is classified as obesity. While you may not be experiencing any health problems yet, obesity can have a major impact on your body and seriously reduce the quality of your health. In fact, severe obesity can lead to disability and even, in some cases, early death.

Why is obesity so dangerous? The primary reason is that it increases your risk of a number of diseases that can be life-threatening.

• Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes nearly doubles your risk of death and can lead to amputations, heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, high blood pressure, hard-to-heal infections, and more.
• You’re at much higher risk for high blood pressure if you’re obese. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, increases your risk of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease.
• According to the American Heart Association, obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease takes the lives of about 600,00 Americans every year and is the number one killer of both men and women.
• Obesity reduces your lung capacity. This increases your risk for respiratory ailments like asthma and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, in turn, can lead to high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and even sudden cardiac death and stroke.
• When you’re obese, it puts a strain on your circulatory system. This increases your risk of stroke, by increasing risk factors like heart disease, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea.
• Obesity increases your risk of GERD. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, known as GERD, causes stomach acid or intestinal secretions to reflux into your esophagus, causing heartburn, indigestion, throwing up, coughing, hoarseness, and belching.
• Bone and joint issues can often be attributed to obesity. These issues include things like osteoarthritis, gout, disc herniation, spinal disorders, and back pain.

 
In addition to these health problems, a host of other issues have been linked to obesity, and more are being discovered all the time. The good news is, even by losing a little bit of weight, you decrease your risk factors. Change your lifestyle to incorporate nutrient-dense food and healthy exercise, and you’ll find that you’ll lose weight and feel better. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, though, bariatric surgery may be a good option for you.

If it’s time for you to make a lifelong lifestyle shift, Garden State Bariatrics can help. We are an MBSAQIP accredited bariatric practice, providing surgical and ongoing medical care to help patients reach their nutritional and lifelong goals. We are passionate about our work and committed to our patients’ success.